It was six years ago this month when Maserati revealed its all-new, internally developed Nettuno 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6. The small engine produced 621 horsepower with a unique Formula 1-derived pre-chamber combustion system, using twin spark plugs for improved efficiency and emissions.
Since then, this 90-degree V6 has become the brand’s core performance powertrain, found in the flagship mid-engine MC20 and MC20 Cielo supercars. It’s also used under the hood of the GranTurismo Trofeo grand tourer and the Grecale Trofeo performance SUV. At the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Nettuno finds yet another new home: the rear-wheel-drive Project GT4 (pictured below) based on the GranTurismo. Chatting with CarBuzz at the event, Maserati shared some insights on engines and powertrains, including some lines the Italian brand simply will not cross when it comes to its sports cars.
Maserati Project GT4 revealed at 2026 Goodwood Festival of SpeedMichal Okonski/CarBuzz/Valnet
Why Add 660 Pounds To Curb Weight?
Maserati’s head of engineering, Davide Danesin, tells CarBuzz that a full hybrid makes sense for Maserati, but not one with a plug. From a regulatory standpoint, Danesin says it’s hard to justify the expense of a large battery that adds about 660 pounds to a vehicle’s curb weight, especially when research has shown that most people who purchase plug-in hybrids don’t plug them in.
“At the end of the day, from a social perspective, these cars are not really a step ahead.”
–Davide Danesin, Maserati head of engineering
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But Danesin sees a standard hybrid with a smaller high-voltage battery as “a good way to couple the efficiency of electric motors with a very good, already efficient combustion engine, which is the Nettuno. So, yes, I would see Nettuno hybrid in our future.”
Does that mean Maserati could look to some partial electrification for its sports cars? Although high-performance hybrids have been well received in sporty rides from Porsche to the Chevrolet Corvette, Danesin finds this technology better suited for Maserati SUVs. A Grecale Trofeo Hybrid could be promising, but a McPura or even a GranTurismo hybrid? That’s a rather taboo subject.
2026 Maserati MCPura hero shotMaserati
People considering a Maserati sports car “are looking for a certain level of purity when it comes to [internal-combustion] propulsion,” which means Maserati must be careful when deciding which vehicles are suitable for hybrid powertrains for the added value and efficiency, Danesin says.
“But there are cases where I think the hybridization is not by definition an advantage, especially for people that are kind of looking for traditional cars.”
Maserati Project GT4Maserati
He hints that Maserati could offer a hybrid variant of a particular model, while recognizing that shifting regulatory seas are now giving the brand “space to do ICE-only cars.” So for the near-term, it sounds like Maserati is still cooking with gas.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Maserati is in the process of recasting and rebuilding its lineup and brand, having discontinued the Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans as well as the Levante SUV, which is coming back for a new generation. It’s no secret that Maserati is struggling: Sales have plummeted from 51,500 units globally in 2017 to 7,900 units last year. And yet Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa is standing behind this iconic Italian brand, unwilling to pull the plug.
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A plug-in powertrain might be of little interest at the moment, as Maserati needs compelling product quickly. A high-output conventional hybrid could make perfect sense, especially paired with the proven Nettuno engine. In the MC20 supercar, that engine can deliver a zero to 60 mph sprint in under 3.0 seconds. Toss in a cleverly packaged electric motor, and Danesin must be dreaming about the possibilities for a quick, more efficient SUV. And if buyers accept that… who knows if such tech might bleed into sports cars in the long run.
